Method of effecting chemical action in gases.



PATENTED AUG. 58,1906;

D. R. LOVEJOY. METHOD OF EPFEGTING CHEMICAL ACTION IN GASES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 1901.

Zzineawea: fnzezziw? W w y rirrssrAS DIMMITT RO S LOvRJoY, or NIAGARA FALLS. NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ATMOSPHERIC PROnUoTs COMPANY, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD OF EFFECTHNG CHEMICAL 'oraoN m GASES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 28, 1906.

Application filed March 22, 1901. Serial No. 62,361.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Dnum'r'r-Ross LOVE- JOY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Nia ara and Stateof New York, have invente certain new and useful Im rovements in Methods of Effecting Chemica Action in Gases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of effecting chemical action in gases, and particularly to a method of eflecting the combination of two gases by causing their molecules to approach within chemical acting distance of each other.-

It is well known that certain substances such as platinum sponge, platinized asbestos, &c.are capable of causing combination of ases, which otherwise'would not unite, by

ringin their molecules within acting dis tance 0 each other. The difliculties of this method are, first, the cost of platinum s on(ge or platinized asbestos, and, second, the iminution of the action after a time, due to the clogging up of the pores of the sponge or asbestos. In this invention the use of any solid or liquid material for effecting the required juxtaposition of the gaseous molecules is dispensedwith and the molecules are caused to approach each other by-.means of electrostatic attraction. To this end the two gases to be combined are led into a chamber through metallic or electrically conducting inlets, and during their passage through these inlets the molecules of the gas are charged electrostatically' by contact with the walls of the passage to a'very high electrical poten tial, one gas positively and the other as negatively. On entering the chamber t e positively-charged molecules of the one gas are attracted to the negatively-charged molecules of the other gas, and are thus brought within the ran e of chemical attraction and a chemical com ination thus eflected. By this method gasesvmay-be caused to unite even when energy is absorbed by their union, as it is only necessary to char e the two sets of molecules to a sufficiently- 'gh potential with respect to each other to store in them sufii cient energy to effect the combination after bringing them into chemical contact. I

I have used in operating on a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen a potential sufiicient to produce a spark of about one inch through air Referring to the accompanying drawings,

which Show in section two forms of a paratus for carrying out my invention, in lgure 1 Arepresents the combining-chamber, erably of non-conducting material.

are the inlet-pipes of conducting material and provided with permeable conductors or diaiphragms of metallic or conducting gauze E so as to insure the thorou hcontact of the gaseous molecules with the e' ectrified surfaces. D D are insulatin -Sheaths t0-prevent loss of. electricity by eaka e,-an d O is the outlet for the mixed gases. is a,source of high electrical potential. A

gases separately in thisa grog Fig. 2 shows a modification of this apparatus in which the combining-chamber itself is made of conducting material and serves as one of the electrically-charged surfaces. One

gas enters at B and is charged by contact with the inlet-tube of conducting material and gauze diaphragms and also by contact with the walls of the chamber. The other gas enters at B through the conducting tube and gauze diaphragms supported on an insulating-sheath, as in Fig. 1, the combined gases passing out at C,-as before. F is again a source of great difference of electrical potential. Variations of details of the conducting-chambers are non-essential and obvious.

In case only one gas is to be acted upon it may be supplied at both sides of the apparatus, the two portions being then allowed to mix or kept other means. 'le I have given a theory of separate until discharged by-ioo the o eiation of the method, it will be understoo that it is only explanatory, and it is immaterial to the process by What reasoning it is explained, -provided that the fiect of cans ing reaction of the gases on one another by the force or effect of the electrostatic energy stored in the gases is obtained. v r

The accompanyingdrawings aredesigned to assist in elucidating the process or method of effecting chemical action in gases, which is the subject of the present application} Complete ap aratus for carrying the process into effect wi 1 be fully described and claimed in a se arate application, Serial No. 116,150, filed July 19, 1902.

claim- I 1. The method of causing gases to unite chemically which consists in imparting to the gases to be united electrostatic charges of different polarities, then bringing said char ed gases within the range of their mutual e ectrostatic attraction.

2. The method. of causing two gases to unite chemically which consists in imparting to the molecules of each gas an electrostatic charge, the said charges being such as to cause the charged gases tohave a mutual molecular attraction one for the other and bringing said gaseswithin the range of said molecular attraction.

3. The method of causing gases to unite I chemically which consists in imparting to the molecules of the respective gases an electro-- arges being of different 1 static charge, said 0 polarity to cause the mutual electrostatic attraction bet een moleculesof the respective gases and 0 a potential suflicient to effect gases being such chemical combination and then mixing the charging onejgas electrostatically and then bringing it in contact with the other gas.

5. The method of causing gases to unite chemically which consists in charging the gases separately with charges of different polarity, and then mixing the charged gases, the difference of plolarity of the charged t at w en the gases are mixed the electrostatic attraction of the molecules of one gas for the molecules of the other gas will cause combination of the gases" 6. The method of causing gases to react u on one another which consists in storing e ectrostatic energy in one of the-gases and then bringing said gases into contact.

Z. Th method of causing a gas to react chemica ly upon another substance which consists'in charging said gas so as to store electrostatic energy therein and then bringing it in contact with said substance.

8. The method of causing gases to react chemicall on one another which consists in charging oth of such gases electrostatically, and then mixing the gases.

DIMMITT ROSS LOVEJOY Witnesses:

WM. 0. WALLACE, L. S; AVERY. 

